Dr. David Cox: A Life of Scholarship, Adventure, and Dedication
File Photo of David Cox.
Early Life and Education
Dr. David Cox. (David Jackson Cox), a distinguished biochemist, university administrator, and devoted family man, passed away peacefully from natural causes on October 14, 2024, at the Bedford Court Healthcare Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. He was 89 years old.
Born in New York City, Dr. Cox spent his formative years in Washington, D.C., and Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Reavis Cox, a renowned marketing authority and chairman of the Department of Marketing at the Wharton School, and Rachel Dunaway Cox, a professor of psychology and director of the esteemed Child Study Institute at Bryn Mawr College. Dr. Cox attended Swarthmore’s public schools before earning a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University in 1956, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude. He continued his academic journey at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1960.
Academic Career and Leadership
Dr. David Cox began his academic career with a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington Medical School before joining the Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas in 1963, recruited by Dr. Lester Reed. A decade later, in 1973, he was appointed head of the Biochemistry Department at Kansas State University. There, he expanded the department’s faculty and mentored countless graduate students.
In 1989, Dr. Cox transitioned to administrative leadership, becoming Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the Fort Wayne campus of Indiana-Purdue University. He retired in 2000, leaving a legacy of innovation in scientific research, including early computer simulations of chemical processes that he programmed himself, and a prolific publication record of several dozen scientific papers.
Passions Beyond the Laboratory
Dr. David Cox was a lifelong outdoorsman who found joy in nature and exploration. As a youth, he spent summers rock climbing and mountaineering in the White Mountains, the Northern Rockies, and the Cascades. Later, he embarked on family camping and backpacking adventures in Rocky Mountain National Park and enjoyed hiking and birdwatching in the Hill Country of Texas and the Flint Hills of Kansas.
During his years in Fort Wayne, he earned a private pilot’s license, indulging in weekend flights across northeastern Indiana. In retirement, his adventurous spirit led him to travel to over 100 countries across all seven continents. His meticulous preparation for these journeys, often involving months of research, brought him as much delight as the travel itself.
A gifted performer, Dr. David Cox embraced his passion for theater, acting in community and semi-professional productions, including Shakespeare Northwest and Stone Town Theatre Works in Bellingham, Washington. In 2009, he achieved a career highlight by playing the title role in King Lear.
Family and Personal Life
Dr. Cox married Joan Narbeth in 1958, and together they had three sons. Joan passed away in 1982. He later married Tamara Compton, with whom he shared 39 years until her passing in 2022.
Dr. Cox is survived by his three sons: Andrew (and wife Patricia Cooper) of Washington, D.C.; Matthew (and wife Tanya Koropeckyj-Cox) of Gainesville, Florida; and Thomas (and wife Christine Freeburg) of Chicago, Illinois. He is also survived by his sister, Rosemary C. Masters, of Sleepy Hollow, New York, and three beloved grandchildren.
Legacy
Private services will be held at a later date to honor the remarkable life of Dr. David Jackson Cox—a scholar, adventurer, and artist whose legacy of learning, exploration, and love for his family continues to inspire all who knew him.
